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W. H, ROAOH & A. J. TOURVILLE. EEoeEss 0E PREPARING SOAP sEEETs.

No. 545,614. Patented Sept. '3, I895.

Zl/z'tzzSJJ. [22 mentors.

UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.-

WILLIAM 11. ROACH AND ALPHONYSE J. 'ronnvlLnn-on SEATTLE, WASH- INGTON, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO ALEXANDER ALISON, OF SAME PLACE.

PRocEs's or PREPARING SOAP-SHEETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,614, dated September 3', 1895.

A plicati n 5184 November'80,1894. Serial a. 630,390. mo ma...)

i To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. ROACH and ALPHONSE J. TOURVILLE, citizens of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Soaps and Processes of Manufacturing. the Same; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to a new manner of preparing soap for toilet purposes; and it consists essentially in coating sheets of paper, cloth, or similar fabrics with soap, which is, in a measure, also incorporated with the fibers of the fabric, treating it by oiling and polishing, so that the sheets will not stick together, and forming it into packages of a convenient size for use.

In the drawings, Figure l is a cross-section of a portion of a sheetof our preparedsoap greatly exaggerated in size to show the parts composing it. Fig. 2 is a package made in the form of a tablet'aud the. cover for the same. Fig. '3 is the cover separated to show the method of attaching the tablets thereto- Fig. 4 is a.package put up in the form of a In hotels, upon cars, and other public places, the indiscriminate use of the same soap by everybody comingalong makes the same a convenient vehicle for the transmission of any and all forms of skin diseases. To carry a cake of ordinary soap with one at all times is so very'inconvenient that'few will take the trouble, while if a supply of toilet-soap could without inconvenience be carried at all times its advantages would be admitted by "all. To secure this result we have prepared the soap in the following manner: A sheet of thin fabric, which may beclotli, paper, or any similar. substance, but preferably paper, is given a coating of melted soap by immersing in a bath or in any other suitable manner. This coating should be applied sufficiently warm and the texture of the fabric be sulficiently open or absorbent, so that the soap will in a measure'be incorporated there- .continuously carried,

with. This, although not an essential feature,

is desirable. The sheets are then dried. The amount of soap taken up by the sheets in one dipping might, in some cases, be sufficient, but ordinarily a second coatingwill be required. This is placed upon both sides and dried.

In F'ig. 1 A represents the fabric which forms the base'for the sheet and B B the layers of soap. If the sheets at this point were made up into tablets or packets, theseparate sheets of the packet would stick to each other and could not be readily separated. To prevent this the surfaces of the sheets are rubbed with a rag, sponge, or any convenient material which has been oiled, thus leaving a thin film of oil on the surface. It is then polished by rubbing the su rface' with a smooth heated metal surface. Passing it between heatedrollers under pressure would also answer. This treatment leaves a smooth polished surface andalso a thin film of oil on the sheets, so that they will readily separate,

even after they have been subjected to considerable pressure and remained for some time .in contact. The sheets, after polishing, may the The pre e'rred form is as a tablet or packet. This is shown in Fig. 2, where the sheets of soap are represented by 0. Theupper sheet 0' has been raised at one end from the rest.

These sheets are bound together at one end.

by a staple E, of wireor sheet metal. These tablets or packets are attached to the inside of a cover D by slipping the staple over the slightly-raised end f of a' piece of thin metal The other half of the cover folds down ever the packet and protects it. This makes it in appearance like a small note-book, and may be carried in the vestv pocket or otherwise stowed away without taking up much room. In this form it is in such convenient shape and takes up so little room that'it may be When one packet of clean soap at all times.-

readily be has been used up, a new one may substituted in thesame cover. Instead of putting it up in tablets or packets, as shown in Fig. 2, it may be put up in rolls, as shown thus insuring a supply be put in any convenient form.

F, which is attached to the cover as shown.

in Fig. 4. The fabric might also be coated on one side only without departing from the spirit of our invention. This, however, would not he as desirable as coating it on both sides.

In preparing soap in this way the use of a fabric baseupou which the sheet is formed has -numerous advantages. It makes the formation of the sheet easier and forms a binding element which prevents the sheet from breaking up into a number of parts too small to be used. It also gives a body to the soap, so that it may be manipulated in the hands. Without this the soap would break up, and even if it should not break up would be immediately reduced to such a small size that it could not be manipulated. The fabric base of the sheet'is, however, in a measure insoluble and remains a tangible body of sutficient size to permit its being worked between or with the hands. As the working continues and the soap has an opportunity to act upon the fiber of the paper, it will, in a large measure, dissolve it until eventually there will be practically nothing left. The

' soap will not have an opportunity to seriously affect the fiber during the process of manufacture, as this takes but a short time, and after manufacture it would not be affected, as the soap will not act except it is wet. In

using it, however, it will become in large measure dissolved, at least sufliciently so that it will not make any trouble.

In using these'sheets, the first lather may be worked up and washed off, taking the greater part of the dirt with it, and then a sec: ond lather may be worked up with the same piece, thus insuring a clean wash.

The amount of soap on the sheets may be made whatever is desired, being controlled by the thickness of the soap when applied and the number of coats given. 7

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'- The process of making sheets of soap which consists in coating a fabric with thin layers of soap, drying the same then oiling the surfaces and polishing them by the application of a warm smooth metallic surface thereto um der pressure, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

WM. l-I. ROACII. A. J. TOURVILLE. \Vitnesses:

H. L. REYNOLDS, JAs. F. MCELROY. 

